


If you want to get know any one, you have to start with the people first.

by stay_off_my_lawn



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D - Freeform, And Of Course - Freeform, Gen, Peggy's Funeral, The Avengers - Freeform, and everyone shows up, every one, the Griffith Girls - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-12 04:05:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4464821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stay_off_my_lawn/pseuds/stay_off_my_lawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the prompt by jumpinjulianofnorwich: Ok so yes Steve at Peggy’s funeral will no doubt be heartbreaking and sad but imagine at the reception he gets seated next to this eccentric 95 year old lady who starts telling all of these crazy stories about the shenanigans she and Peggy got up to in New York and Steve despite being really torn up can’t help but laugh cause he gets a glimpse of the Peggy he used to know, and when she’s done she turns to Steve and asks “So how did you know English?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	If you want to get know any one, you have to start with the people first.

No one could really remember whose idea it was, but in the end, they decided to have the service at a small church in the old neighborhood. A quiet, private event, even though Peggy Carter had deserved so much more, nothing short of a presidential address and a procession down 5th Avenue, but she was never one for such extravagance, "I know my value" she would have insisted.

No one was sure how many people to expect considering she dealt mostly with spooks and snoops and in clandestine meetings and other dealings in the dark, but by the time the service started, people were spilling out of the quaint little church, and they had to open up all the doors and windows to let the people who couldn’t fit inside listen along. In a twist that really shouldn’t have surprised anyone, everyone had showed up –

The renewed threat of Hydra and Ward be damned, they all came, in their matching black suits no less - all of her proteges along with their proteges, all of what is left of S.H.I.E.L.D, out from whatever deep cover black ops mission or non-existent underground base, out to pay their respects one last time to person who started it all. Even Fury was rumored to have came back from the dead for this, if you know how to look pass his disguise.

Sharon and most of the other agents were still young by the time Peggy retired from the public eye, and really only had the chance to meet her in person once or twice, if they were lucky, but who can call themselves a true S.H.I.E.L.D agent without having climbed up the ranks being immersed in all the great Peggy Carter stories – of the time she out pranked Melinda May after an epic month long war of escalating practical jokes; or the time she lead a painfully green Maria Hill to infiltrate and take control of the infamous [ redacted ] with only a hand gun between the two of them; or the time Natasha turned the entire headquarters inside out for three hours and still couldn’t find Peggy in their monthly improv game of Find the Spy. No, you simply cannot be S.H.I.E.L.D and not worship the grounds this woman walked on. She was the embodiment of everything S.H.I.E.L.D stood for, stands for still;

None of the Howling Commandos made it as far as Peggy did, the war had not been kind to any of them, but Trip and some of the other surviving relatives arrived early to help out, while some of the others acted as rides and escorts so the few remaining widows could attend;

And then there were the Avengers. Sam had gently reminded everyone to give Steve space to grief, and acted as his proxy to greet all the guests. Bucky was still more comfortable staying in the shadows, but from there he was sure to keep a close eye on Steve. Tony never talked about it, but Jarvis and Peggy were all he had left after the Howards’ “accident”, and until now Peggy had been his only remaining family; so Pepper stayed close and held tightly onto him, so he could pretend like she’s the one who needs to be kept from falling apart. Natasha disappeared the instant she arrived, presumably to use the opportunity to talk shop with Fury. There will be a time for her to say goodbye to Peggy later in her own way, but this wasn’t it. Clint already feels awkward enough in these situations as it is, so instead, he made himself useful, sat out on the roof next to one of the opened windows, and kept his eyes out for any signs of trouble. Even the jovial Thor was unusually subdued in his Migardian suit (which Darcy is proud to tell everyone and anyone who would listen of her adventures in taking Thor suit shopping) for nothing dampens his spirits as much as a the passing of a great warrior, even with Jane by his side.

—– —–

As Steve wandered aimlessly through the reception, in the mist of trained killers and legends, one peculiar group of mourners caught his attention. A handful of ladies in their funeral best, pearls and veils, hunched over in age with wrinkles weaving stories across their faces, huddled in a circle, telling jokes and laughing heartily in spite of the somber event. They were of course, swapping stories of Peggy’s antics, but Steve couldn’t quite figure out when Peggy had worked for the phone company of all places.

There was one woman in particular, with a tinge of youthful mischief in her eyes and a dramatic flair in the way she moved, who told the best stories – the time Peggy stood up for her and threatened a sleazebag customer at the automat with a fork; the time when Peggy dashed across 4 lanes of New York City traffic to save a run-away dog and then managed to hunt down the owner and gave him an earful (and almost a beating) for abusing the poor animal, which she promptly took from him; the time Peggy helped the girls sneak out of the Griffith at night so they can all go watch Penny’s fiancée preform at the jazz club. In spite of the tears that are now freely flowing, Steve found himself laughing easily along with the group of women. This is what he had been missing all day. This was the Peggy he had known and loved, not yet a mentor to young agents or a director of spies and secrets, but a soldier on the ground with an exuberant love of life and an equally large heart to match.

After a couple more stories, Angie spots him loitering awkwardly outside their group and waves him over, “Don’t be a stranger handsome, come! Tell us how you know English. You look like you’ve got a couple of good stories yourself.”


End file.
